I-10 reopens but replacement bridge will cost $5M
DESERT CENTER, Calif. — Shortly before reopening Interstate 10 on Friday, officials announced that construction crews would need about two months and $5 million to rebuild a fallen bridge near here.
Traffic began flowing in both directions on I-10 soon after Caltrans officials rerouted all vehicles through the westbound Tex Wash bridge about 175 miles east of Los Angeles at noon, restoring the key link between Los Angeles and Phoenix and bringing motorists much needed relief from lengthy detours.
The reopening came nearly five days after the interstate’s eastbound bridge collapsed, injuring one person and shutting down traffic and slowing interstate commerce.
Earlier this week, construction crews laid the foundation for eastbound traffic to cross the center median just east of Eagle Mountain before entering the left westbound lane. Workers put finishing touches on the detour Friday morning to allow traffic to flow in both directions.
The eastbound bridge failed during a major storm Sunday when fast-moving flood waters shifted the dirt that held its foundation in place. A pickup truck was caught in the collapse, and Desert Center resident Bryon Caster was hospitalized with moderate to major injuries.
Last year, transportation officials gave the 48-year-old bridge an A rating, one of the highest possible flood-safety ratings, and it was supposed to withstand all but the most catastrophic of rain storms. Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration are investigating what caused the bridge to collapse.
Since the freeway shut down, motorists had been forced to take alternate routes adding more than an hour to their drives.
The Federal Highway Administration announced Thursday that it would give California $2 million to help fix the Tex Wash bridge.
In a statement, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx called the bridge a “critical piece of infastructure” connecting drivers traveling between Arizona and California. Foxx said the Department of Transportation was committed to helping with rebuilding the bridge “safely and quickly.”
The reopening is welcome news for travelers and truckers, but traffic bottlenecks will remain, California Department of Transportation officials said. Delays as long as half an hour could occur at peak travel times, including Friday evenings and late Sunday afternoons.
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